ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: SELECTED WORKS OF COMPOSERS ASSOCIATED WITH HOWARD UNIVERSITY Guericke Christopher Royal, Doctor of Musical Arts, 2018 Dissertation directed by: Professor Chris Gekker School of Music Throughout its over 100 year history, Howard University has produced and attracted many talented composers of many musical genres. Limiting this project to any one genre or focus would have lessened the overall impact of the music they created and the inspiration that has been a lauded part of the institution. The project will demonstrate the various harmonic, melodic, rhythmic and emotional contributions of the selected composers through interpretation of their music on the trumpet. Composers have been connected to the university in three general ways: as students, alumni and faculty; as commissioned artists; and through the performance of their works by notable performers associated with Howard. The pieces selected for this project exemplify a wide range of musical expressions and compositional techniques, and hopefully have been presented in a way that allows the emotional impact of each piece to resonate in a unique fashion. The selected works tended to fall into the categories of A. Trumpet and Brass Works B. Spirituals/ Meditational/ Religious Works C. Popular and Jazz Pieces D. Organ or other Instrumental Works E. Works of Historical Reference or Significance In some cases, certain pieces may be categorized across multiple categories (e.g. an organ piece based on religious material). As this was also a recording project, great care was taken during the recording process to capture as much emotional content as possible through stereo microphone techniques and the use of high quality equipment. The group of works examined and set for the CD is but one example of Howard University’s musical legacy. Additional collections of selected works of composers associated with Howard University could, and should, be created by others to further reinterpret more of this underperformed, yet highly valuable music. SELECTED WORKS OF COMPOSERS ASSOCIATED WITH HOWARD UNIVERSITY by Guericke Christopher Royal Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts 2018 Advisory Committee: Professor Chris Gekker, Chair Dr. Daniel Falvey Dr. Sarah Frisof Professor Mark Hill Professor Greg Miller © Copyright by Guericke Christopher Royal 2018 Acknowledgements I wish to thank the Department of Music at Howard University (Dr. Anthony Randolph, Chair) for their cooperation in the production of the recording. Thanks to Dr. Adele Lynch at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church for use of the sanctuary for organ recordings. Many thanks to Professor Chris Gekker for his much appreciated guidance and support. To the performers who assisted, it was a pleasure to work with you all. I am honored by everyone’s participation and contributions, both large and small, in this process. And to Klara and Galen: without your unwavering patience, support and love, this project would never have materialized. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... iii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. v Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Trumpet Literature .......................................................................................................... 2 Composers’ Connection to Howard University ................................................................ 3 The Pieces ....................................................................................................................... 4 The Performers ............................................................................................................... 8 The Venues ..................................................................................................................... 9 CD Listing and Program Notes ........................................................................................ 9 Variations for Trumpet (1981) ..................................................................................... 9 Prelude on St. Martin’s (ca. 2000) ............................................................................. 10 Meditation (1983) ...................................................................................................... 11 After You’ve Gone (1918) .......................................................................................... 12 Scenes From History For Voice And Violin (2012) ..................................................... 13 Spiritual Fantasy No. 1 For Piccolo Trumpet In A and Piano (2007) ......................... 17 Killing Me Softly With His Song (1973)...................................................................... 18 Steal Away (Arrangement ca. 1921) ........................................................................... 20 Three Fanfares For Four Trumpets (1963) ................................................................ 22 Tromba, Suite For Bb Trumpet And Piano (1980) ...................................................... 23 Whisper Not (1956) .................................................................................................... 24 Arietta (1957) ............................................................................................................ 25 “Deadly Seduction” from Macabre Suite (1982) ........................................................ 26 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 27 Musical Sources ............................................................................................................ 29 Appendices ................................................................................................................... 30 iii Appendix I. Other Notable Alumni Composers ....................................................... 30 Appendix II. Recording Information ....................................................................... 31 Appendix III. Composers’ Biographies ................................................................... 34 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 54 iv List of Tables Table of Works and Categories- page 5 v Introduction Founded in 1867, Howard University has a rich musical history which may be traced to 1870, when a few courses were offered. In 1892, the music program was organized as a stable department of the Normal School, and in 1914 it was established as an independent conservatory. The School of Music (now Department of Music) was admitted to membership in the National Association of Schools of Music in 1942, the first music program in the Washington, DC area to gain such membership. In January 1974, the School of Music was reorganized as a department in the College of Fine Arts. With the merger of the College of Fine Arts into the College of Arts and Sciences in August 1998, the Department of Music became one of three departments in the Division of Fine Arts within the College of Arts and Sciences.1 Howard University’s rich musical legacy has produced many successful performers in many genres. Various notable alumni performers would include Leontyne Price (operatic soprano), Richard Smallwood (Gospel music performer and choir director), The Blackbyrds (Rhythm and Blues ensemble), Harold Wheeler (Musical Director for the Oscars Television broadcasts and noted Broadway orchestrator), and Wallace Roney (Jazz trumpeter), to name only a few.2 The touted performance legacy tends to overshadow the numerous composers also produced by the music school, and other composers and writers who have had significant 1 “History and Mission.” Howard University Department of Music. (accessed February 12, 2018, http://coas.howard.edu/music/mission/index.html) 2 Ibid. impact on the world of music through association with the university and its graduates. This project examines only a few works of these composers, whose compositions have been selected to demonstrate a vast range of musical contributions, as interpreted through performance on the trumpet. Trumpet Literature The solo repertoire of the trumpet is relatively limited compared to that of voice, piano, strings and many woodwind instruments. The evolution of solo trumpet literature has mainly been a consequence of the 20th century, where there was demand for new compositions or arrangement/ adaptation of existing solo repertoire from voice or other instruments. Jazz music was another major influence, when the trumpet finally replaced the cornet as the high, chromatically melodic brass voice in large ensembles and on recordings. The trumpet community has been generally open to new music that is playable and musical, no matter the source, because of that general lack of repertoire. The approach to tap different music for trumpet interpretation has implications beyond repertoire building. It also creates a sense of freedom to perform music without it being judged as “trumpet like” enough, or not.